Sakura woke up with a massive headache. She slowly opened her eyes to look where she was and found herself not at home nor the hospital. Looking around she quickly pieced together that she was in Kakashi's apartment, more specifically his couch. She recognized it from the times she and Naruto came to drag him to the hospital. She stood up, letting the blanket Kakashi draped over her pool in her lap and rested her back on the backrest of the couch with a sigh.

She looked up at the ceiling with empty eyes. My parents are dead. I killed them. I killed them indirectly through my actions...I, Sakura Haruno, age 16, Chūnin of Konohagakure no Sato, killed my parents by traveling back in the past...Tears pooled around her eyes and she let them fall freely. This is all my fault. Sage, I am such a failure. I should have...I should have known better. I knew that damn invasion was coming but I never told them not to come. I didn't even think about it. Their blood is solely on my hands...

"Oh, you're awake." Sakura turned around and saw Kakashi in the doorway. "I thought you might not appreciate returning to an empty home...How are you feeling Sakura?"

"Kakashi-sensei...They-...They-"

"Shhh...It's ok Sakura, it'll be ok..." said Kakashi as he took a seat next to her on the couch. He put his hand on her head but she slapped it away.

"It is not ok, Kakashi-sensei! It'll never be ok! My parents are dead! They're dead anD IT'S ALL MY FAULT! I KILLED THEM!" Sakura paused to take in ragged breaths. "If they never came to the third round of the Chūnin Exams, this would have never happened. They would have been safe and I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of knowing I doomed them!"

Kakashi's arms shot out and brought his student to his chest, hugging her close. "None of this is your fault, Sakura. Nobody could have known this would happen. You trying your best to become Chūnin doesn't mean you've forsaken your parents. They came to the arena to cheer you on because they loved you, their death doesn't fall on your shoulders. If you must blame someone, blame Orochimaru, but never yourself. You couldn't have known."

Sakura wailed. Her hands clutched the fabric of Kakashi's black tshirt. She was sobbing like a child. Her sensei just held her and allowed her to let it all out.

That's where you're wrong sensei, it is my fault.

Because I knew everything that was supposed to happen that day.

...

Kakashi allowed his student to spend the night. Not that he was planning on kicking her out. Sakura was a very emotional person who loved deeply. To lose her parents like that probably scarred her for life. Not to mention she blamed herself, survivor's guilt was a bitch. Kakashi knew he wasn't the best on the whole emotional spectrum, I mean look how he turned up, but he wouldn't allow Sakura go down the same rabbit hole that he himself went through when he lost his father. He will try his best, for his student.

It was about time he started acting like a proper teacher. He just wished it hadn't taken Orochimaru almost killing his students and the Leaf getting attacked to realize his mistakes.

...

Two day later, the Hidden Leaf Village gathered for the funeral of the Third Hokage and those lost in the attack. Sakura went home that morning to get her funeral attire. The silence of her home was choking her up. To think that this was how it'll be from now on...it was tortuous. She wondered for a brief moment if this was how Naruto and Sasuke felt every time they came home...

She shook her head at the thought and ran up the stairs until she reached her room. She searched in her closet until she found her funeral attire, a black shirt and skirt with black ankle boots. She was about to leave when something, an unknown force compelled her to go to her parents' room. She doesn't why she opened the closet, nor why she started looking through her mother's clothes, but she knew exactly what she was looking for.

Her mother's funeral haori. It was a simple black with black spider lilies stitched in the fabric, almost unnoticeable unless you were close enough to her. She put it on and stared at it, it was big compared to her petite form, it reached all the way down to her ankles, barely not dragging on the ground and the sleeves completely covered her hands.

She hugged herself, as if she could channel her mother through her clothes. Tears pooled around her eyes but she didn't let them fall, wiping them with fervour before making her way out of the house.

She walked alone, the pouring rain soaking her to the bone but she didn't care. She made her way through the village, expertly avoiding to bump into anyone she knew, until she reached the funeral site. She saw Naruto, Karin and Sasuke standing in the first line of the people gathered but didn't join them. She didn't have the courage to face them now. She walked all the way to the back, as further away as she could without losing sight of the caskets.

She listened with a wave of emptiness as the village elders gave their speech.

"We will begin the memorial service of the Third Hokage who lost his life in this battle, as well as the other victims of this battle. Hiruzen Sarutobi was a man who loved this village to the very end. He inherited the Will of Fire of our previous Hokages, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, and in turn he imparted his teachings to the rest of the village. The Will of Fire burned brightly in him and in those we lost. May they find their way to the Pure Lands in peace."

Afterwards, everyone walked towards the caskets to place a white flower on the table in front of them. Sakura let out a small prayer for her parents before making her way towards her hom- house. Because it'll never be a home again without her parents around. Just when she reached the stairs she heard a loud voice behind her.

"Hey! There you are Sakura-chan!" said Naruto approaching her with Kakashi, Sasuke and Karin in tow. "I thought you didn't come the funeral for a second. Wher-" But Sakura didn't stick around to listen, she dashed away from her team and didn't stop running until she was at her house in her mother's room.

...

"Hey Sakura-chan! SakURA-CHAAAN!" yelled Naruto as he tried to get his friend to come back. "What happened? Do you think I made her mad at me somehow?"

"I doubt that's what happened, dobe. If that were the case she would have caved your face in by now." said Sasuke, although his eyebrows were scrunched in confusion.

"Do you think something happened to her?" asked Karin.

"Maa, take it easy on her guys. She had a tough few days." said Kakashi.

"Did something happen?" asked Sasuke.

"Sakura's parents were killed in the invasion." said Kakashi blankly. He watched as Sasuke sucked in a breath while the cousins' eyes widened. "Like I said, she's not herself right now. Give her some time, she needs some space and to be alone for now."

"Bullshit." said Naruto, glaring at Kakashi. "Being alone is the worst thing in the entire world and the last thing Sakura-chan needs to go through. Come on Sasuke." And the two boys ran down the stairs, running all the way to Sakura's house.

Karin debated whether she should join them before deciding not to. While she was friends with Sakura, she wasn't as close to her as the boys. It was better if she left this in Naruto and Sasuke's capable hands.

...

"Do you even know where she lives?" asked Sasuke as he and Naruto ran down the streets.

"I do. I walked her home after we trained together for the Chūnin Exam." They continued running until they reached the Haruno residence. The front gate was left wide open, probably forgotten by Sakura in her frenzy to get home. They entered her house in silence and looked around the living room in silence before walking up the stairs. They opened the first door and found Sakura sitting on the ground by the window, her legs drawn up to her chest with her chin resting on her knees. In her hands she had a photograph that she gazed at with sadness. Her head shot up when she heard the two approach and she looked at them in confusion.

"Naruto? Sasuke? W-what are you two doing here?"

Naruto gave her a sad smile. "We came to see you, Sakura-chan. We heard what happened and-"

"We wanted to see how you're holding up." finished Sasuke.

"Yeah, that."

Sakura frowned. "You didn't have to do that guys. I'm sure you have better things to do. I...I'm fi-"

"You're not fine." said Sasuke. "But that's ok."

"Cuz you have us, Sakura-chan." said Naruto as he and Sasuke took a seat next to the pinkette. "And we'll never, ever leave you. I promise!"

Once again Sakura broke down and threw her hands around her teammates, bringing them close. She hugged them tightly like she was scared they might disappear from her too. The boys brought their arms around her to and Team 7 didn't let go of each other until many hours later.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sasuke wondered if he would have wanted someone to hold him like this after the massacre.

...

Three days later, Sakura kneeled in the mud next to her parents graves as Ino held an umbrella up to shield them from the rain. She carefully dug in the dirt with her bare hands and planted her mother's favourite flowers: daffodils. Once she was done she got up to examine her work while Ino wrapped her in an one armed hug. A small snort left her as she remembered their meaning.

Forgiveness...

How utterly fitting.